Falling Into Chaos
by Ang3l S0ng
Summary: Third Book in the Falling Series. Follow Asa as she struggles to survive the events of Water 7 and Enies Lobby. Will she be able to handle her family being torn apart? Will Asa have to give up her dream? Can she stop Usopp from making the biggest mistake of his life? More drama, adventure and heartache await! He's done waiting and she can't run anymore.
1. Prologue

**I was just so excited that I finally got over my writers bloke that I had to post this! It's just a prologue so its really short but it'll give you something to look forward too;) Enjoy!**

Falling Into Chaos

Book III of the Falling Apart Series

Prologue

It's hard to imagine something ending.

I remember when I first meet the crew. How I probably looked like such a dork, staring at my idols who were standing in front of me, strong, happy, _real._

I remember when I was finally asked to join their crew, how happy I had felt. How loved.

I remember the parties and the laughter and the joy that surrounded me. The feeling of belonging somewhere and being wanted.

It's hard to imagine that in a few short moments it will all end.

I won't get to go to sleep listening to the sounds of my nakama's snores, or feel the waves rocking me protectively like a mother would her child.

I won't be able to play games with the others and run around and laugh.

I guess I've technically died once already but… this time…

If I close my eyes this time, I don't think I'll be waking up again.

The feeling was strange. It had hurt, _god had it hurt_ , but then it just stopped. Like someone flipped a switch. And everything was just numb. I felt sleepy and calm even though I knew what was happening and knew that I needed to stand up, _needed to help them._ But I couldn't. My body had stopped listening to me.

So this was it then? This is where it would end for me? Bleeding out with a hole through my stomach… alone.

Was I going to die alone?

That thought seemed to scare me more than the fact that I was dying.

I forced myself to blink, quickly regretting it when it took too much effort to try and pry my eyes open again. I stared with slightly blurry eyes at the dark grey ceiling above me, looking but not really seeing. My mind was elsewhere.

We had won. I thought we had won. We were all back together again.

And then…

Suddenly the numbness was gone. A shiver that burned through me at the thought of _them_ brought back the agony. Fear welled up inside me, replacing the calm. Adrenaline pumped through me and I felt my vision sharpen. I could now see more detail in the cold steel ceiling. Before I could blink again a face came into my view, bending over my dying body.

"He is here for you. He is here for his Dark Song." The empty eyed, pale child spoke in a haunting voice that would haunt my dreams for years to come.

The child reached out to me and with the last of my energy I _screamed._

And everything went black.

 **Aren't I a mean person? Coming up next: Chapter One - Beginning of the End.**

 **Until next time!**

 **-Ang3l**


	2. Beginning of the End

**Alright! First official chapter! Not much to say so please enjoy!**

Chapter 1

Beginning of the End

Do you ever get that feeling that you're being watched?

I couldn't shake that sensation as I snuck through the Going Merry, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up and making me feel the need to look behind me constantly for any possible sneak attack. Of course there was never anything there, which only served to make me even more nervous.

My bare feet hardly made a sound as I tip toed across the wooden floors. Compared to the silence that filled the ship each step sounded like gunshots.

Just as I was about to round a corner, a door down the hall creaked open slowly. With a silent gasp I pushed myself up against the wall out of sight and held my breath. Footsteps made their way into the middle of the hall and paused for a moment. I imagined the enemy looking around for the last crewmember to have been caught. After what seemed like a lifetime, the footsteps turned and faded down the hall.

I let out the breath I had been holding and pushed off the wall to peek around the corner. All clear.

I was the last one left. That meant I had to be seriously careful. There is no way I am going to let them get me again.

Cautiously I made my way towards the open door and was relieved to see it was the kitchen. Finally, I was safe!

Too soon, I let myself relax, which was my biggest mistake.

Before I could take a step into the room, arms were suddenly wrapped around my middle and my feet left the ground. The air in my lungs left me and I gasped, trying to fill them up again. My back was pressed against my attacker's chest and his arms were wound tightly around me with no sign of loosening. I reached forwards with a yelp and grabbed onto either side of the doorframe as he tried to pull me away.

 _No! I was so close!_

My hands slipped, despite my effort and he was able to drag me back away from safety. I let my body sag in defeat and hung my head.

"Shishishi! I win!"

I twisted in Luffy's grip to see his face and pursed my lips at him. "I'll beat you next time."

Luffy laughed again as he plopped me on my feet. "You always say that."

Before I could deny that, Usopp and Chopper came running around the corner. Upon seeing me they both grinned. "Nice job Luffy, you caught her!" Usopp gave his friend a thumbs up.

Chopper looked up to the sniper. "That means you're it next Usopp."

Usopp grumbled for a moment before he suddenly struck a heroic pose. "I was only caught first because I had to take care of that giant Sea King that was trying to eat the ship before I could hide!"

I shook my head at the obvious lie, only a moron would believe that.

"Really!?" A high pitched voice exclaimed.

…

Okay. Only a moron, and tiny adorable creatures who are too innocent to know any better and therefore have an excuse.

"Sorry, guys. You'll have to play the next one without me. I want to go and take some pictures while the suns still up." I told them.

In unison all three boys let out a disappointed 'awe' and I had to fight off a smile. It was nice that they liked playing with me that much. I knelt down to Chopper's height and tickled his sides a little, making him laugh and squeak. "Don't worry, we'll play more later." Standing up again, I turned to Luffy. "And next time I _will_ beat you." I promised and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek before I headed towards the deck.

"I will never get used to that." I heard Usopp comment as I left and that made me laugh. He wasn't alone though; I probably would never get used to it either.

Things had been great around the ship since Skypeia. The crew was taking Luffy and I's relationship in stride and seemed to be fine with it. It was Sanji who took the longest getting used to seeing the two of us together but he's pretty much come to accept it by now. It wasn't like us being together had changed much anyway. They were only really reminded of it the occasional time, like just now, that we'd kiss each other on the cheek or hold hands or something. Other than that it was all pretty much the same.

I'd come to learn to cherish the moments that we were alone together because they didn't happen all that often. I always seem to find out something knew about my captain in those moments. For instance, he _loves_ to cuddle. And I had no complaints about that. The boy was like a hot water bottle and a teddy bear rolled into one. Luffy is also really ticklish, which for a boy made out of rubber seemed kind of odd.

We'd been on a lot of adventures since the island in the sky. Accidently landing dead center in a marine base, getting challenged to the Davy Back fight, running into Aokiji. I certainly wouldn't soon forget any of them.

Alex had left not long after we got back to the Blue Sea, promising that we'd see each other again soon. I was looking forward to it.

But I was also worried.

Lost in my thoughts I almost forgot to grab my camera from the women's quarters. I had taken to leaving it in there so it didn't get broken by the guys after one close call. After retrieving it I headed out onto the deck and looked around for something to take a picture of.

I took a moment to take in the Merry and frowned sadly. She wasn't in great shape.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't fool myself any longer. We were approaching Water Seven. I knew this but I kept trying to distract myself. The Merry was going to end her journey here and Robin was going to give herself up to CP9 to protect the crew. This is where everything falls apart.

I shook my head to try and dispel such thoughts. I knew how this would end. Everyone would be together again, Robin would be free at last, Usopp would come back, we'd have a new nakama, and we'd sail off to the Florien triangle for another one.

Happy and together.

We just had to push through the hard parts first.

 _And this time I can stop Usopp from leaving! He and Luffy won't have to fight!_

I walked to the front of the ship and looked past Merry's figurehead at the ocean stretched out before us.

"Looking for something Sweetheart?"

The voice behind me made me roll my eyes. I forgot to mention, Locke decided to stick with us for a while.

"Just looking for something to take a picture of." I responded, ignoring the 'sweetheart'. He seemed to have taken to calling me that much to Luffy, Sanji, and my annoyance. I turned around to see his smirking face. "Remind me, why are you still here?"

His smirk never faltered which just served to annoy me further. "Your oh-so-kind captain let me hitch a ride until we get to an island where I can find a ship. Why? Am I bothering you?" He teased smugly.

I had to resist rolling my eyes again. It wasn't like I didn't like Locke. He wasn't a bad guy when you looked past his constant flirting. If you brought up Ganesh, he seemed to change into a whole other person. Locke seemed to look up to the man as if he were his father, always talking of him with pride and respect. I was curious about this Ganesh guy, he seemed to have a lot of knowledge about everything that was going on.

"Not as much as you seem to be hoping." I grinned.

"Well I guess I'll have to try harder then." He took a step closer to me and I raised a brow.

"Please don't."

He laughed putting his hands behind his head. Locke didn't say anything after that, just looking out at the horizon with a small smile. Before he could move, I quickly lifted my camera and discreetly snapped a photo, happy that I remembered to turn off the flash.

"If you could go back, would you?" I asked, not really sure where the question came from all of the sudden but it was something that I thought about often.

Locke considered it before shaking his head. "There's nothing left for me in that world. Even if there was I don't think I'd want to leave. I've had more of a life here than I ever did back there."

We settled into a comfortable silence as I thought about what he said. I missed my Aunt and Uncle so much and there's not a day that went by that I wished I hadn't been such a child that last time I saw them. But living here, with Luffy and the others, had forced me to grow up. They gave me so many memories, so many experiences. I had a life here.

If I could go back one day, what would that do to my family? Their dead niece coming back to life? That wasn't fair to them. That was just cruel.

I don't think I could ever leave this place. Given the opportunity I wouldn't hesitate to say no.

A felt a sudden passionate determination course through me and I grinned. "I'm gonna beat the crap out of that bastard scientist."

I think Luffy's been too much of an influence on me.

Locke looked surprised for a moment before it morphed into his usual smirk. "Has anyone ever told you, you're sexy when you're riled up?"

He winced when I punched him in the shoulder.

Grinning now, I left him and walked over to Nami who was lounging on deck in a beach chair, Robin reading a book next to her. I held up my camera and looked through the view finder, focusing the lens. The girls looked up at me.

"Say cheese!" I exclaimed.

They both smiled, Robin's softer and more subdued. I looked forward to when I could get a picture of her _really_ smiling. _Just a little longer Robin._

"A-A frog is doing the front crawl!"

 _Well, looks like another adventure has started._

* * *

The street of Water Seven were amazing. The people, the canal's, the Yagara's, the buildings, everything was just beautiful. It reminded me a lot of Venice. Not that I had ever been there but I've seen postcards.

I wandered the streets with my hands in my pockets. The stone pathways felt cool on my feet and I found it nice to walk on something so smooth.

Everything went according to the anime up to this point. We almost got run over by Puffing Tom and the met Kokoro and Chimney.

Zoro stayed behind to watch the ship and Locke had thanked us for the ride and left to buy a ship. I didn't really know where he was headed.

Robin, Chopper and Sanji went together to sight-see.

Luffy, Usopp and Nami had gone to exchange our gold from Skypeia into money in order to pay for the ship repairs. Which is kind of why I was wandering around by myself. I was at a loss of what to do.

Merry was beyond fixing and I had the option to tell the crew this and save them the time but really, they probably wouldn't take my word for it and still insist on getting an expert to check it out. I didn't blame them. They didn't want to admit that it was time to get a new ship. The thought probably hadn't even crossed their minds.

I didn't trust that I wouldn't say anything when I was around the others. They're undeterred trust that Merry was fine hurt to watch when I knew that she wasn't. So I had decided to sight see on my own, trying to clear my head a bit.

As I walked people would wave at me and greet me happily, which was another thing I liked about this place, the people were so kind, even to pirates.

I found a bench over-looking one of the canals and decided to rest for a moment. I plopped down and leaned my head against the back so I was looking up at the sky.

There wasn't anything I could do about the Merry or even Robin leaving. Usopp was a different story. My hopes were to somehow prevent him and Luffy from getting into that fight because on top of everything they didn't need the extra pain. I was also doing this for selfish reasons. The last thing I wanted to watch was my family falling apart.

I just didn't really know how to prevent it yet.

Groaning, I rubbed my forehead. All of this was one huge mess. I took a walk to clear my head but now it seemed foggier than ever.

"Excuse me, miss?"

The small voice caused me to sit up. A little boy with light blonde hair and wide eyes was standing beside me. He couldn't have been older than six.

I tilted my head in confusion. "Yes?" I asked, leaning forwards so we were eye to eye. The boy shied away a little. He seemed to think for a moment before he reached forward and grabbed my hand. With a tug, he pulled me up off the bench and led me down the street holding my hand with both his small ones.

Where was he taking me?

We walked for a while longer before the boy suddenly took a left into an alley. He stopped and looked around. Now I was starting to feel nervous. Back alleys weren't exactly known for their good times. The boy turned to me, a frown on his face. "She was just here."

"Who was?" I asked, doing better to hide my fear then I thought I would.

The kid looked around again. "The little girl. She asked me to come get you."

Alright, I had a bad feeling about this. First things first though. "Alright, I'll look for her, you go back to your parents." I instructed and was glad when he didn't put up a fight. Whatever was going on here I didn't want him in harm's way if this went south.

The alley looked like a normal city alley, nothing special about it. I wandered slowly to the other end which came as a stone wall.

"Dark Song." The voice was sudden and unexpected, it's familiar tone throwing shivers of dread up my spine. I knew that voice.

Slowly I turned, hoping that it wasn't true. That I was just hearing things and I wouldn't turn and see that little girl.

Obviously, luck wasn't on my side today.

The girl stood there, looking just like when I last saw her in Alabasta. Her blonde hair framed her pale skin and a bright smile stretched across her face brightening her already crystal blue eyes.

I felt sick to my stomach as the memories from Alabasta hit me like a brick wall. The horrible fear that I had experience while fighting this child. The things she made me see…

"Don't call me that." I spat out. I hated that name. I focused my power into my hands, turning them black and raising them in a defensive stance.

The little girls smile dropped and she looked at me sadly. "I'm sorry. I needed to speak with you."

The way she spoke was so mature for someone her age and that diminished my anger slightly. _This wasn't who I fought. Remember what Locke said, they were being controlled._

Seeing me calmed down slightly she smiled again. "I came to warn you."

Of course she did. Because when was it ever just to say hi.

"Warn me about what?"

"The Cradle is angry with you. He is coming for you."

The need to throw up came back again. He was coming now? Of all times? My fists clenched at my sides in frustration.

"Why didn't you listen to my letter?"

"You sent that letter?" I asked in awe. "How did you know I'd be in Skypeia?"

The girl looked at me with a seriousness that a child should not be able to possess. "He always knows where you are."

I narrowed my eyes. "Well then let him come. I've been meaning to say something to that bastard." I shoved my fear and anger deep down and locked it in. I'd deal with it later.

The girl looked startled and then concerned. "He'll kill you."

That sentence didn't scare me as much as it probably should have. "Then he kills me." Despite everything that was going on, all the chaos that had suddenly seemed to explode around me, a thought came to me. "What's your name?" It seemed like something so simple. Right now simple was something I found myself craving.

"Mai."

I grinned, taking Mai off guard. "Hello Mai. My name's Asa."

* * *

I didn't end up returning to the ship until later that night.

In the whole time I was out I couldn't seem to come up with a way to prevent Usopp from freaking out. Everything I thought up seemed to have too many ways it could go wrong. So I found myself dreading going back to the ship.

I knew what was going on with the others throughout the day but I knew I'd probably only make the situation worse if I got involved. There's nothing I could change. That's why I spent the day wandering around. After my encounter with Mai I felt kind of… empty. It was like my emotions were shutting down. I guess I kind of overloaded. As blissfully numb as this feeling was I was also too familiar with it. I knew a panic attack was sure to follow soon.

As long as I could get through this first, everything should be alright.

When I got there I headed straight for the galley where I knew everyone would be. Sure enough, the whole crew was there, all tense as they faced an injured Usopp. I shifted my bag on my back as I walked in.

"Asa." I looked up at Nami who was staring at me with an unreadable look. Ignoring her, I took a spot against a wall and waited. I was not looking forward to any of this.

Usopp hugged Zoro's leg, crying. "I'm ashamed! Guys!" I smiled as I watched Zoro try and struggle out of the sniper's grip. "That money was so crucial to us and yet, I let it… I let it…" Usopp sobbed harder.

Zoro actually had to pull his pants up to keep Usopp from pulling them down and on a normal day I'd be laughing my ass off. "Hey, hold on a sec! Calm down! I get it! So get off of me!"

"But… the huge amount of money we got, after all that we went through…" The boy continued to blubber on about how it was all his fault. Eventually he calmed down, with much coaxing from Chopper to watch his injuries. That's when he asked about the ship. I bit my nail, my mind racing a mile a minute. How was I going to do this? What was I supposed to do? Damn it…

It was Luffy's right as captain to break the news to Usopp. How would I get him to think reasonably enough to understand that this was a hard decision that had to be made?

"Usopp… about the ship." Luffy started, smiling despite the situation. I admired how strong he could with these things. "I decided to get a new ship."

There was absolute silence that was so thick it felt crushing, making my knees weak.

All Usopp seemed to manage was a small "What?"

Luffy continued. "I'm sorry that I made the decision without consulting you. But I've made up my mind. The Going Merry took good care of us, but our journey with her ends here."

I noticed Nami clench her fists and Chopper's eyes water.

We listened silently as Luffy talked about the ships in the catalogue they had gotten from the shipwrights. He was obviously uncomfortable in the tense situation and was trying to fill the silence. He was still smiling.

I took a step forward away from the wall. It was then that I noticed how badly I was shaking. _Get it together._ I felt Zoro's eyes on me as I tried to get my hands to steady.

"Wait." Usopp said, cutting off Luffy. "Wait… Wait a sec. You're taking the joke too far. That's ridiculous. Right?" Usopp looked desperately at us. "See? Chopper took it seriously." He said as he noticed the sadness on the little reindeers face. "What'll we do with our captain. Come on, say something to him Nami."

He was met only with serious looks. We could see the dread wash over him. "Well… does that mean that we don't have enough money for the repair? Because I got that 200 million stolen by them, w-we're now short on money, right?" The desperation in his voice hurt to listen to and I found myself quickly dropping into a panic attack. _You can't do this now. You have to stay focused. You have to fix this._

I stepped forwards again, my knees almost giving out when Usopp started shouting at Luffy. "Usopp stop it." I demanded, my voice harsh. The attention of the room suddenly swung to me. "It's got nothing to do with the money. Merry can't be fixed." To my surprise my voice didn't shake despite the sudden lack of control I had over the rest of my body. The world swayed slightly but I ignored it. I was trying to keep both Luffy and Usopp from becoming angry with each other by just coming out with it.

Nami noticed me stagger slightly and she frowned in worry. "Asa, are you-"

"What are you saying!?" Usopp's shout cut off Nami and I winced. "What do you know!? You aren't a shipwright!"

"Usopp, she's right." Luffy interjected, drawing the sniper's attention back to him. "Merry will sink soon. Otherwise I'd never be talking about getting a new ship." Luffy's voice was calm but I could see the stress in his eyes. He wasn't smiling anymore.

"What are you talking about, Luffy?" Usopp asked, his voice eerily calm.

"It's true. They told us at the shipyard."

Usopp glared at our captain but before he could say anything I spoke up again. "I knew this would happen Usopp." I said trying to get the point across that this was real, that we couldn't ignore it any longer.

Suddenly Usopp was on his feet and he fisted the front of my shirt, lifting me slightly off the floor. The crew stepped forwards protectively, Luffy jumping off the bench he had been seated at. Usopp shook me roughly and yelled in my face, his words drowning out the protests and threats of the crew. "YOU KNEW!? THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU DO SOMETHING!? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING!? WE COULD HAVE HELPED HER EARLIER! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" His words stung horribly and I barely felt him shove me back, only realizing he had done so when I was suddenly looking up at the ceiling.

I heard a crack and something sharp poked me in the back.

The others had all reacted immediately. Sanji growled and stomped his cigarette into the floor. "Damn it Usopp! You went too far!" I heard him yell. Nami was covering her mouth with both her hands, her eyes wide and scared. Zoro swore to himself and tried to calm everyone down and Chopper immediately rushed to my side.

Just before Luffy tackled Usopp I caught a flash of regret on the sniper's face as he looked down at me.

"Don't ever touch her again!" Luffy yelled, pinning Usopp to the floor.

My mind went blank as I realized what the cracking noise had been. I drowned out everything else in the room, Chopper trying to get my attention, Luffy and Usopp trading hurtful words, the others trying to get control of the situation. Slowly I slid my bag out from under me and sat up. I kept my face blank, not sure what emotion I should show because so many were tangled together inside me. I barely heard Luffy get kicked into the table by Sanji.

Everything went very quiet, making the sound of the zipper of my bag seem all the louder and more menacing.

I reached in fingers shaking so badly I was only just able to pull out the shattered remains of my camera.

 **Damn. What's Asa going to do now?**

 **I have two thing to mention.**

 **1\. Did you notice I spelled Usopp's name right? Aren't you guys proud of me ^-^**

 **and 2. I know how this series is going to end. I've already written up a good portion of it. I'm estimating that it'll be finished in... three more books. Which will be named Falling Into Darkness and Falling Into the Flames. I won't tell you the last books title because it'll give to much away;)**

 **So what do you say? Can you guys put up with three more books?**

 **Thanks to all who have reviewed, favourited and followed up till now.**

 **Love to all you angels!**


	3. Broken

**SURPRISE!**

 **Two days in a row! YAY! ;)**

Chapter 2

Broken

 _Usopp glared at our captain but before he could say anything I spoke up again. "I knew this would happen Usopp." I said trying to get the point across that this was real, that we couldn't ignore it any longer._

 _Suddenly Usopp was on his feet and he fisted the front of my shirt, lifting me slightly off the floor. The crew stepped forwards protectively, Luffy jumping off the bench he had been seated at. Usopp shook me roughly and yelled in my face, his words drowning out the protests and threats of the crew. "YOU KNEW!? THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU DO SOMETHING!? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING!? WE COULD HAVE HELPED HER EARLIER! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" His words stung horribly and I barely felt him shove me back, only realizing he had done so when I was suddenly looking up at the ceiling._

 _I heard a crack and something sharp poked me in the back._

 _The others had all reacted immediately. Sanji growled and stomped his cigarette into the floor. "Damn it Usopp! You went too far!" I heard him yell. Nami was covering her mouth with both her hands, her eyes wide and scared. Zoro swore to himself and tried to calm everyone down and Chopper immediately rushed to my side._

 _Just before Luffy tackled Usopp I caught a flash of regret on the sniper's face as he looked down at me._

 _"_ _Don't ever touch her again!" Luffy yelled, pinning Usopp to the floor._

 _My mind went blank as I realized what the cracking noise had been. I drowned out everything else in the room, Chopper trying to get my attention, Luffy and Usopp trading hurtful words, the others trying to get control of the situation. Slowly I slid my bag out from under me and sat up. I kept my face blank, not sure what emotion I should show because so many were tangled together inside me. I barely heard Luffy get kicked into the table by Sanji._

 _Everything went very quiet, making the sound of the zipper of my bag seem all the louder and more menacing._

 _I reached in, fingers shaking so badly I was only just able to pull out the shattered remains of my camera._

My nakama stared at the broken shards in my hands. Glass and plastic shattered and snapped. I could hear Nami crying now, her soft gasps and shaky breathes. That wasn't good. _Don't cry Nami,_ I wanted to say. I tore my eyes away from the pieces and looked around at everyone.

Sanji's mouth was open, like he wanted to say something but didn't know what. Zoro was gritting his teeth, fingers curled around his katana. Chopper was sniffling but doing a good job at being strong. Luffy looked torn, like he wanted to be angry but he was too sad to be. His expression scared me. _You should smile Luffy._

Usopp's expression was the worst. He looked horrified and scared. Self-hatred and regret mixed together behind his brown eyes in a chaotic mess. His hands were shaking now as he reached towards me, but hesitated half way. "Asa I-"

I laughed.

Though the air felt thick and suffocating.

Though I felt empty and overloaded at the same time.

I laughed.

The sudden sound made the crew flinch but I continued to laugh. A full hearty laugh that filled the room and made my stomach hurt. Because if I didn't laugh, I would cry. Every ounce of me wanted too. To just let it go. To scream and cry and give in to the pain. I wanted to so badly. But I couldn't.

I still had a chance to fix this.

I wasn't going to waste it.

So I shoved the pain down. I tried to hide it with the rest that had been building for so long. Behind a wall that held it all in. I crammed it down tightly and tried not to choke on the sob that was forcing its way up my throat.

The wall cracked with the pressure.

I grinned as widely as I dared at the boy in front of me, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. The smile was obviously not what they had expected. I twitched slightly when Nami started crying harder. "Don't go Usopp." I said in the happiest voice I could muster. The slight shake in the words made me want to frown but I kept up the smile, though it softened a little.

"Asa…" Someone muttered. I wasn't really sure who.

"I've watched you leave. Please don't make me live it." I paused to regain my courage. "We're family right? We're nakama. You can't leave." My throat was thick as my smile wavered. Usopp dropped his hand back to his side and looked at the floor, eyes shadowed. "Who will tell us stories and play games with us? Merry wouldn't want us to fight over her." I let out a shuddering breath. The tears were welling up in my eyes but I choked them down. "P-Please don't let one of Merry's last memories be of us fighting."

Usopp stood suddenly and headed for the door. Seeing the action, I wanted to scream and shout at him not to go but all I could do was whimper pitifully.

"Usopp…?" Chopper whispered quietly. The sniper looked over his shoulder at all of us.

"I need to take a walk."

And he left.

For a moment, no one moved. No one made to go after him. I stood slowly, dropping what was left of my camera back into the bag as I went, pretending that the sound of it didn't cause my heart to ache. Taking a deep breath to compose myself I set my bag down in the corner of the room and turned back to everyone. Luffy stood up from the debris of the table.

"Well, we should probably go and find Robin. I wonder if she found some really cool history stuff and forgot what time it was. Or maybe she got held up at the library reading. She does like books-" My rambling was cut off when a sturdy hand gripped my shoulder. I was surprised to glance up and see Zoro giving me a stern look.

 _That just wasn't fair. How do you expect me to hold it together if you give me a look like that?_

The sound of Luffy's sandals drew my attention forwards again. He stood in front of me, arms opened, with a small sad smile on his face.

Something in me _broke._

Before I knew it I was in Luffy's arm's sobbing. Screaming out my pain until my throat was raw. I tried to stop them but the tears kept coming and the sobs ripped through my frame, threatening to tear me apart. He held me tightly, brushing his thumb across the base of my neck comfortingly. He didn't say a word. He didn't need to. He just needed to be there.

* * *

An hour later, Asa had cried herself to sleep.

Sometime in that hour, Luffy had moved them over to the wall so they could sit, cradling her in his lap. He didn't even think she was aware that they had moved. Sanji had gone to get a few crates to use as a make shift table and began boiling some water for tea. No one had said anything for the longest time.

It wasn't until Asa's sniffles and hiccups reduced to deep even breathing that Nami spoke, her hands clamped tightly around the cup in front of her. "I hate it." Despite whispering, her voice sounded loud in the silent room. "I hate how she does that. How she redirects the burdens on herself."

Sanji chewed the end of his cigarette, not noticing that it had gone out. "It's just who she is."

Chopper was leaning into Nami's side, burying his face in her shirt. Nami let him.

"No," Zoro said quietly. "It's just who she's had to become. She knew that Usopp would freak out about the ship. Had she not taken the blame the outcome could have been far worse."

Nami stood up, causing Chopper to sit up, and glared at the swordsman. "How could it have been worse!?" She hissed, still being mindful of the sleeping girl. She jabbed her finger at Asa's bag in the corner. "That camera is her dream! That breaking… is like if someone burned all my maps. The only difference is, is that I can start over! We don't have that kind of technology here! We can't fix it!" Nami was breathing heavily when she finished, her voice becoming desperate and sad by the end.

No one knew what to say. Nami sat back down and put her head in her hands.

"No one should have to live with the burden she does." Name whimpered.

Zoro closed his eyes. "You're right. No one should. But she does. And she doesn't stop there. She goes out of her way to try and change the outcome, even if it means putting herself in the cross fire."

Sanji smiled fondly. "She's selfless to a fault."

Chopper tugged on Nami's shirt, making the navigator look down. "I'm worried about her."

Nami scooped the little reindeer into her lap and gave him a hug. "Me too." She said into his hat.

Zoro glanced over at his captain. Luffy was resting his forehead on Asa's shoulder, his eyes closed. The swordsman could tell he wasn't sleeping despite his silence. His shoulders were too stiff, his breathing too irregular. Asa's cheek resting on his shoulder in return. Her face was turned towards Zoro and the tear tracks down her cheeks stood out all too well. "Luffy." Zoro said quietly, not wanting to wake the girl. "Why don't you take her below deck. We'll stay up and wait for Usopp and Robin."

It was well in the night after all. The sun would be rising in a few hours.

Luffy lifted his head at his first mates voice and nodded. It would be more comfortable for her in her bed. He stood with her and carried her gently out of the galley. With a little difficulty he managed to make it down the ladder and into the men's quarters. Instead of taking her to her own bed, he brought her to his, laying her down and climbing in after her, being careful not to tip them over.

Luffy pulled the blanket over the both of them and stared at Asa. She looked so sad. He wanted to help her but didn't know how. What could he do?

Luffy was worried. He was worried about Usopp. He was worried about Robin. He was worried about Asa.

But… he also felt a swell of pride for Asa as well. She was so much stronger then she gave herself credit for.

He brought a hand up and brushed a strand of her chestnut hair out of her face. He then gently leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. When he pulled back he was pleasantly surprised to see a soft smile on her tear stained face. Her features had relaxed and she looked peaceful again.

He could only stare in awe before he snickered quietly. He closed his eyes and let himself drift into a light sleep.

* * *

When I woke up, I was alone.

The warm spot beside me however, told me that Luffy had been here not too long ago. I wasn't sure how long I had slept for. My eyes were sore and my head hurt from all the crying. It felt a bit ridiculous for a moment before I shook my head to dismiss the feeling. My body ached as I clambered out of the hammock. When my feet hit the floor, I noticed I felt lighter, like I could breathe easier. I guess I should have let out the pent up emotions earlier, I hadn't realized how much of a toll they were taking on me.

For the time being, I had tried my best. Whatever happens now was Usopp's decision.

I thought about my broken camera. Secretly I hoped that Usopp wouldn't blame himself for that but I knew he would. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone's fault.

Still though… What would I do now? This world didn't have that type of camera or anything even remotely close to it. That camera was the only thing I had left from my world that meant something to me.

But…

If it really meant that much to me then why was I not more worried about the fact that I might have to give up my dream?

Unless…

And like someone flicking a switch it all seemed to fall into place. The foggy picture became clear.

I smiled, a weight lifting off of my chest and I took a deep breath.

It made sense now.

It surprised me that I hadn't realized before.

Feeling so much better than before, I made my way up to the deck.

Everyone, with the exception of Robin and Usopp, was on deck with bags and boxes of stuff. Nami's trees had been uprooted and put into burlap sacks. Luffy looked up at me and grinned. More weight was lifted when I saw that smile. "Asa! You're up!" I gave him a nod and returned a bright smile. The whole crew relaxed almost unnoticeable. _Almost._

Chopper ran up to me and hugged my leg. I gave his head an affectionate pat.

"We were just getting things ready to go." Nami said sadly.

Another revelation struck me and I had to resist face palming. "Yeah, we should probably go now." I suggested. The crew gave me odd looks and Chopper tilted his head up at me.

"But we have to wait for Usopp!" The doctor insisted.

"I know but we'll leave a note for him here. We have to get everything out of here before the Aqua Laguna hits."

All I received where blank looks.

I sighed. "It's a massive tidal wave that's going to flood the entirety of the lower city. And it's going to hit tonight."

"WHAT!?"

* * *

It didn't take long for us to get all of our stuff and check in to a hotel on the upper levels of the city. I thought it best to avoid the risk of our stuff getting eaten by the giant wave. We had left a note on the Merry for Usopp, telling him where we were going and about the storm.

From there things seemed to go downhill. Again. But at least this time I expected them too. We found out that we were being hunted by the citizens, having been accused of shooting the mayor, Iceburg I think his name was. Luffy had given each of us orders to follow before he left with Nami to go see the mayor.

I was going to go back to the Merry and secure her someplace safe so she wouldn't get swept away by the Aqua Laguna while the others would search the city for Robin and Usopp.

We wasted no time. I took the fastest route I could remember back to the ship, running the whole way there. I was pleasantly surprised that I could run faster and longer than I thought before I started to feel it. Living in this world had certainly built up my endurance.

"Please…"

"Come back another time! I'm going to find shelter! You're too persistent!"

The voices caught me off guard as I had seen no one in the streets at all. Everyone was gone trying to find shelter from the storm. It was the first voice that snagged my attention though.

Just as I rounded a corner the voice spoke again. "Please. I have money."

My eyes widened and I was only just able to stop myself from running into Usopp. My heels dug into the ground and I lost my balance, falling onto my butt. "Usopp?" I gasped, trying to regain my breath. "What are you doing here?" I looked between him and the bewildered man he had been speaking too, then up at the sign on the building behind him. It read 'Timber & Hardware'.

"Asa?"

Seeing the money in the shop owners hand, I caught on pretty quick that he was trying to buy supplies for the ship. I jumped to my feet. I ignored the ache in my chest that told me that this had happened in the anime and that probably meant that he would try to repair Merry himself even if the shipwrights couldn't do it. There wasn't time for this. Luffy and the others were no doubt in the middle of fighting to get Robin back so we had to get the Merry somewhere safe quickly so we could go help them. Or… so I could go help them.

"What supplies do you need?" I asked quickly.

Usopp's brow furrowed at me. "Lumber, tar, ropes, nails, latches and tin plates should do. But wh-"

Ignoring whatever he was going to say next I spun towards the shop owner and pulled all the money Nami had given me a while back out of my back pocket. "Here," I dropped the money in his hand. "This should be more than enough."

The man looked between the two of us and the money. Usopp's stomach groaned but we all ignored it. "I'm sorry but the shop's closed."

The water in the canal behind us was sloshing rapidly, the water level rising gradually. "Please, Sir. It'll be quick. You'll still have time to get to shelter." I begged.

I felt Usopp's eyes on me. The man sighed. "I guess I don't have a choice."

Grinning widely, I threw my arms around the man and gave him a big hug. "Thank you!" I didn't notice the guy blush. Letting him go I grabbed Usopp's hand, gently (he was still injured) but insistently and lead him into the store. We grabbed everything we needed, thanked the man one last time and left.

Neither of us said a word until we arrived back at the ship.

Immediately Usopp got to work on repairs. I stood there awkwardly not really sure what to do with myself.

"What's going on in town? When I came back I got your note and a whole bunch of guys showed up and searched the place."

I stared at him in shock.

Usopp continued to hammer at the mast a few more times before he noticed my lack of an answer. He turned around with a questioning glance which quickly turned into bafflement when I slammed into him, almost knocking him over. "O-Oi!" He stuttered.

I hugged him tightly around the waist. "You came back." The words came out in a whisper.

I felt Usopp relax and he laughed. "Of course! What would this crew do without Captain Usopp!"

Stepping back, I shook my head at him. "We don't need Captain Usopp. We just need _you_ Usopp." I poked him in the chest, trying to get the point across. He was just as important a crew member as everyone else.

Apparently the words meant more to Usopp then I thought they would as the sniper started tearing up, only to wipe them away stubbornly. He shot me a grin.

I felt completely elated. I had actually done it. I don't know how or why but Usopp had stayed. Thank goodness for that. I wanted nothing more than to jump around and cheer!

"Hey, Asa?" Usopp started, his voice timid.

I hummed in acknowledgement.

"About your camera… and those things I said… I'm really-"

"No." I cut him off, crossing my arms defiantly. Usopp blinked at me.

"I'm trying to apolo-"

"Nope."

"Hey com-"

"Nuh uh."

"Seriou-"

"La la la la la! I can't hear you!" I sung annoyingly, sticking my fingers in my ears. Usopp glared at me half-heartedly and when I was sure he wasn't going to say anything I removed my fingers. "You have nothing to apologize for. If you even try anymore I'll kick your butt."

Usopp gulped. "Yes, ma'am!"

I could tell he wasn't content with that, but we could address the situation after all this was over.

We settled into a comfortable silence. Not even remotely like the one that filled the galley the other night. It was such a relief. Things seemed to be getting better. All we had to do was get Robin and then set sail to our next adventure! All of us together. Of course, I was simplifying that to the extreme. It would be a hard fight when we reached Enies Lobby but I was determined to give my all.

I would admit that I was nervous. This was the first time I would be fighting head to head with the main enemy since I got here. I'd only previous had an encounter with Crocodile (in which I got my butt kicked) and that was pretty much it. I wouldn't really count the incident on Little Garden. I'd never gone up against anyone on the same caliber as the guys from CP9 before.

"So, are the other's alright?"

Usopp's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "Well," I started. I proceeded to explain to him everything that was going on as I remember it from the show.

The sun had set and the clouds had thickened enough to cover the sky. The waves were rough and they were only getting worse.

Usopp hung off the side of the ship by his grappling hook, hammering in the last few boards we had. "That should do." He said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "She should be good enough to sail somewhere safe."

I nodded down at him from the deck. "Good, we have to get moving, the storm is coming."

Usopp dropped down to the ground and recoiled his grappling hook. "Hey now, I didn't know you had a girlfriend Long Nose boy." My head snapped up at the voice and I was startled to see Franky and those two girls with square hair approaching.

Alright, normally I wouldn't be afraid of Franky but he isn't exactly on our side just yet so I had a reason to be cautious. I hopped down from the deck and landed gracefully next to Usopp. As Franky walked up to the sniper and began teasing him I thought about our situation carefully. If I remember correctly, Franky took Usopp and the Merry hostage to try and draw out Luffy. Instead Franky and Usopp end up getting captured by CP9. The best bet we had to get to Enies Lobby was through this method.

I tuned back in to what was going on when Franky raised his fist to smash it over Usopp's head. Thinking fast I threw a shield around the sniper. Franky pulled out of his attack in shock and glared at me. "A Devil Fruit user huh?" He practically growled.

I raised my hands up and let the shield fall. "No need to get testy. We surrender."

Everyone, including Usopp gapped at me. Discreetly I gave Usopp a wink, silently asking him to trust me. I knew he understood when he let out a groan and raised his hands up too. Franky looked at us suspiciously then glanced at the Merry. "Guess we don't have a choice but to bring the ship too." He said. Leave it to Franky to respect a well-cared for ship. Okay well, Merry wasn't really well cared for but she was certainly well-loved.

Understanding dawned on Usopp's and he glanced over at me. I returned a smug look and he rolled his eyes.

The interaction was short and silent but I'd take it over screaming and yelling any day.

 **Sorry if it feels like I'm rushing anything, I'm not trying to but there's just so much that has to be covered. It's pretty intense!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed! That's really all I hope for while writing this. When I started I hadn't expected people to really notice this story because of all the other amazing OC stories out there. I mean, the whole plot of this is kind of over used. The last thing I had thought when I posted the first chapter was that I was going to be making a six book series!**

 **It's still pretty insane to think about...**

 **Anyway!**

 **Love to all you angels out there!**


	4. Kidnapper gets Kidnapped

**Oh my gosh I am so sorry this is so short. I'm going on a camping trip and I wanted to give you something to read before I left or it would have been bugging me the whole time.**

 ***Bows* I am so so very sorry for taking so long to update this and giving you a short chapter too...**

 **Like I said, I may be horrible and make you wait a long time for updates but I am NOT giving up on this story. Please enjoy what little is here to read and I'll get working on the next chapter as soon as I can!**

Chapter 3

The Kidnapper gets Kidnapped

 **A Few Hours Ago….**

Locke shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position on the hard wood of the small ship. He was going along at a nice speed thanks to the strong winds. If the dark clouds were any indication, then a storm was coming and he could only hope he'd reach an island before he got caught up in it.

A nerve in his back twitched painfully and he sighed. There was no way he was going to be able to take a nap. Instead he stood up and adjusted the sails slightly. Looking down at the eternal pose he had bought to make sure he was still going the right way.

He needed to get back to Ganesh and tell him that he had found the girl.

They just needed the whereabouts of the last one of them. But that concerned him. Ganesh told him that the machine had only gone off four times. Once for himself, once for Ganesh, once for Alex and then once for Asa.

Considering that he had built the machine, Locke trusted that Ganesh hadn't been wrong. But did that mean that one of them wasn't sent here because of the portal? Was that even possible?

Locke's boat shook, almost knocking him into the water. Steadying himself he looked around for whatever it was that had almost sunk him.

A little boy stood on the water not far from him. Black eyes staring empty and unfocused. Locke clenched his jaw.

"It's time. He's calling for you, Ventus." The child said, voice chilling.

Locke growled. Why the hell were they here? Dammit. He must be getting desperate. He's trying to speed things up. He leapt for his bow, which was on the other end of the boat and took a knee, wasting no time in notching an arrow. He drew back the string and released it with practiced ease. The child stepped to the side, moving unnaturally fast. Before he had time to notch another arrow the boat was suddenly thrown and Locke's feet left the wooden deck.

Time seemed to slow down as he slammed into the cold waters hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs. Thinking quickly, he slammed his hands over his mouth, dropping his bow in the process, to hold in what little air he had left.

Then there were hands on him. It felt like thousands of hands, grabbing and clawing at his clothes. They wrapped around his arms and legs, grabbing his hair, forcing his head back. He reached out a desperate hand towards the surface. The tips of his fingers just barely reached but the hands dragged him down.

Further and further they went. Down so deep that he thought the pressure might kill him before lack of oxygen did. But it would be a close call. His lungs burned with the need to breath and he watched through half open eyes as the light of the sun dimmed before being swallowed by the darkness.

His last clear thought that managed to break through the terror that seemed to devour his very soul, resonated around his mind before it faded with his consciousness.

 _Run Asa._

* * *

This was probably the strangest kidnapping ever.

Because instead of being restrained and thrown in a corner, or threatened, I was sitting on a worn couch sipping at a hot cup of tea. Trust me, I wasn't complaining. Seeing as this was going to be the last relaxing moment I get before everything hit the fan (which it kind of already did), I was going to enjoy it.

The two girls, who I couldn't remember the names of for the life of me, walked over to Usopp and offered him tea as well. The sniper was sitting on the ground beside the Merry which rested in a small canal inside the building we were in. It looked like an old warehouse of some sort, but it was in bad shape.

Deciding that the silence was too awkward I glanced over at Franky. "You're plans not going to work you know." I said, taking another sip of tea.

Seeing Franky's annoyed look, I decided to elaborate. "Luffy's got his hands full with other things."

Franky scoffed. "So what? He cares that little about his crew?"

Usopp raised a brow. "You're kidding right?" He shook his head and sighed as if Franky had just told us the moon was a giant floating squirrel. He might as well have; both were equally ridiculous.

"Even if Luffy did hear that you captured us he knows we're strong."

I set my cup down and leaned against the arm of the couch. It felt a little wrong to be sitting here when I knew Luffy and the others were dealing with a hell of a lot. If nothing too major had changed, then Luffy should be stuck between two buildings right now and Zoro should be in a chimney. Just the image almost made me laugh out loud.

All we had to do right now was wait for CP9 to show up

I was pulled from my thoughts by Franky's laughter. "Strong?! That weakling?" He made a gesture in Usopp's direction.

Anger rushed through me and with a growl I flicked my wrist. A thin sharp spear of darkness shot from my hand and stopped just under Franky's chin. The cyborg gritted his teeth and stiffened. The atmosphere in the room became tense. "Call him weak again and it will be the last thing you ever say." I spat out in a quiet but harsh voice.

The little voice in the back of my head was jumping around excitedly exclaiming how badass this must look. Of course I wouldn't hurt Franky, he was going to be our nakama eventually but that didn't give him permission to insult my friends.

"WAAAAAAHHHHH!" Franky exploded in a mess of tears. I lost my concentration and the spear vanished. "Such friendship! Such loyalty!"

"WAAAAAAHHHH Loyalty!"

"Friendship!"

The two girls began crying as well and Usopp and I were left to gawk at our kidnappers, wondering where the hell this came from.

The next while was filled with talk of our past adventures with Merry. The idle chatter was enough to forget for a while that we were supposed to be enemies. Everything seemed to be okay. A few tears were shed when we brought up the figure of Merry we saw and Franky told us about Klaub-err-thing. It honestly felt more like we were visiting old friends, rather than being held hostage.

That is, until the bell at the back door rung.

The two girls got up to go answer it, assuming that it was their friends that they had sent out to tell the others that we were here.

However, I knew that wasn't the case. I gripped the arm rest in an attempt to keep myself seated, wanting nothing more than to warn Franky and Usopp.

The door was thrown open and one of the girls flew back from a powerful kick to the face.

All attention went to the four people who walked in, easily disposing of the other girl as well.

"Mozu! Kiwi!" Franky exclaimed.

Kalifa flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Pardon the intrusion."

I gritted my teeth and stood up. I had to choose my words carefully here. If I said too much they'd kill me. I just needed them interested.

"The girls wouldn't let us in." The CP9 agent put her hand on her hip and adjusted her glasses. Kaku, Lucci and Blueno stood casually behind her.

Franky and Usopp looked at them in surprise and horror. "What are you guys doing here!?" Franky demanded in rage. He charged at Kalifa and threw a fist forwards only to have it blocked by Blueno. He practically growled and threw another punch at him which he was quick to block. "What are you playing at Blueno!?"

I winced and quickly stepped out of the way as a swift kick to the stomach from Lucci threw Franky back towards us. This wasn't good… I could feel myself becoming nervous.

Usopp looks between Franky and them in shock. "What's going on!? Aren't these guys from the shipyard?" He sweats nervously.

Lucci crossed his arms. "Our occupations in this city were just a front. In reality, we are intelligence agents with the World Government."

Franky tensed looking at them with wide eyes.

"I'm sure you know what that means. We know everything."

I clenched my fists. Damn these bastards… I had never liked anything about the world government. There were the few marines that I liked of course, Smoker, Tashigi and Coby for example. But the government was so corrupt it made me sick. I took a breath and channeled that anger towards confidence and I crossed my arms, mimicking Lucci.

I knew how to get their attention. One simple word.

"Pluton."

It left my mouth before I even had a chance to doubt myself, coming out just barely over a whisper but when the room suddenly went silent and tense I knew they had heard me. Franky turned to me with an unreadable expression, some combination of anger, fear, worry and most of all confusion.

Usopp was just confused.

The CP9 agents suddenly had all their eyes on me and it took every bit of my will power not to step back in intimidation.

"What did you say?"

I chose to keep my mouth shut this time.

Luckily it seemed to work. Lucci and Blueno traded a glance and gave each other a subtle nod. They turned back to Franky and told him about how they knew he was Cutty Flam, Tom's old apprentice. My body relaxed slightly. Having seen what these people can do in the anime and knowing now that the anime doesn't compare to actually living it, made them terrifying in my eyes.

I couldn't remember where exactly Luffy and the others were at about now but I did know if I had just screwed this up, they'd have no way of getting to us in time. No way of knowing at all.

Biting my lip, I pushed the dark thoughts from my mind. It wouldn't do any good right now.

Just as I started to focus on the situation at hand again, something hard and heavy slammed down on the back of my head. I grunted under the weight and felt my knees give out, dropping me to the ground just seconds before my vision went dark.

 **So... I have a chapter written out for this series... its actually the last chapter for the fifth book, which is second to last in the over all series. And I would just like to apologize in advance.**

 **I love you all so much and I'm sorry you have to put up with my late updates! Thank you all for your wonderful review up until now! You're all just so great! 3**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **-Ang3l S0ng**


	5. Demon

**I know short! But I felt like I needed to give you guys something at least. Sorry about the wait, nearing college so a lot of things are changing in my life right now. I hope you enjoy regardless of length!**

Chapter 4

Demon

"Let me go, you bastard!"

"You guys are scary!"

"Let me go!"

Franky let out a pained grunt as one of the agents punch him in the head to shut him up. I stayed quiet, slung over Blueno's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. My head was killing me from being hit but I ignored it, trying to figure out some way to change these events without destroying the chance to get Robin back.

I glanced over at said woman, who was walking with the agents casually. If I didn't know her I wouldn't hesitate to think she was just another one of the governments tools. But I did know her. I could see the tenseness in her shoulders and the way her steps were almost too precise, as if that's all she was concentrating on.

 _A little longer Robin. Don't give up hope yet._

As the group dragged us onto the sea train I caught a glimpse of Sanji out of the corner of my eye, hiding around a corner watching us. His teeth were clenched tightly around a cigarette. I gave him a small nod, letting him know we were okay.

They loaded us up into the train, a car at the end of it. Usopp and Franky were left tied up, tossed uncaringly into the isle of the train car.

Robin sat in one of the seats and stared seemingly uncaring out the window, the rain pelting the glass obscuring the outside, blurring it into a mess of dark colours.

I had fully expected the same treatment as Usopp and Franky but confusion washed over me as, instead of throwing me down roughly, they continued to carry me, stepping over my struggling crew mates. I met Usopp's eyes as we passed, and saw the confusion and fear in them. His fear transferred to me and I felt my heart rate pick up as adrenaline coursed through me. I struggled against Blueno, kicking and slamming my bound wrists into his back. "Hey! Put me down!"

As expected he ignored me. My thrashing became more desperate as we neared the door to the next car. I felt the train jostle as it started to leave the station, the harsh waves of the storm pushing it roughly in a stomach lurching jerk.

"Where are you taking her! Hey!" Usopp tried to inch worm after us only to be halted by Lucci's heal in his back.

Robin glancing over her shoulder at me was the last thing I saw before the door closed, cutting me off from my friends. A crushing fear pushed down on my gut, a fear of what would happen, a fear of not _knowing_ what would happen. I clamped my eyes shut for a moment, willing myself to calm down. I had to get rid of any distractions. I needed to focus.

I had the advantage of using my powers and the element of surprise. But what exactly was I supposed to do after that? We were in close quarters with nothing but a raging ocean outside. I had nowhere to run to that these guys couldn't get me. Not to mention there was no way I was strong enough to take him let alone the others on my own.

So that left me with the option to sit and wait to find out what he had in store for me but I wasn't too keen on that idea either.

I couldn't try to stop the train. It had to reach Enies Lobby or so much would change and there isn't a guarantee that Robin would be free, just narrowly escaping at best.

 _Think Asa think! What would Luffy do if he were here?_

I almost laughed at that. Luffy would take the first option of course, try and kick their asses no matter what the chances. But I wasn't Luffy… no I was Asa.

Blueno reached one of the cars at the front of the train that looked like a dining room. He roughly dropped me into a chair and my wrists were yanked behind me, twisting my shoulders at a painful angle making me lean forward to try and ease the stress on them. He secured my ankles to the legs of the chair and stood back.

A half-baked plan started to form in my head. I kept my head down and bit my lip hard, forcing myself not to flinch as I dug into it enough to draw blood. I had to work fast.

Blueno just looked at me a moment. "What do you know about Pluton?"

Ah I see, this was an interrogation. I kept my mouth shut.

He gripped a fist full of my hair, I couldn't fight the grunt of pain that tore through me but I kept up with my plan. "Answer me girl," The look on his face as he wrenched my head up with absolutely priceless.

The colour drained from his face and he staggered back immediately. The blood from my lip dripped down my chin and I slowly tilted my head, doing my best imitation of a Luffy smile.

My solid black eyes met his gaze evenly, unwavering despite my inner fears.

"What are you?!"

I laughed, light and seemingly care free, my hair mused from his abuse to it. I caught my reflection in the window behind him and almost flinched. I might actually give myself nightmares after this. A shiver ran up my spin.

"Ever hear of a demon Blueno?"

It was very strange to see someone that I feared, someone that I knew was insanely strong, look at me with such… uncertainty and caution. I was the one tied up here and yet he seemed to feel equally as trapped.

Good, I could use this.

"Demon? There is no such thing." He said in such a way that he could have been trying to convince himself.

I just laughed and grinned wider. The blood dripped down my jaw as I tipped my head at an awkward angle. "Don't they?"

I concentrated my powers to my back and spine, four large black arachnid like limbs twisted and grew from my back. They clawed in the air grasping at nothing and I'd be lying if Blueno's expression wasn't satisfying.

He's eyes were blown wide, staring in badly disguised horror.

He quickly recovered and scoffs, whether it was at me or himself I would never know. "Stop the games devil fruit user," he approached me confidently and pulled out a pair of sea stone cuffs. Without hesitation, he clamped them around my wrists above the ropes. He made a good attempt at forcing himself not to avoid the talon like limbs and just because I could I allowed one to swing uncomfortably close to his eye, the razor tip almost brushing through his eye lashes.

I was enjoying this too much probably. But the jerk deserved it for everything he's done.

The space between us doubled as Blueno realized that the cuffs weren't doing a thing. Sweat dripped down his face and he grit his teeth so hard I swear I heard his jaw crack.

He turned and made his way to the door in what seemed like a forced even pace. "I'll deal with you later."

And with that he left. I let my head flop down in relief. That was far less painful then it could have been. I snickered to myself quietly and shifted to find a more comfortable position. I was afraid earlier. Afraid of not knowing what would happen, afraid of the unknown. It made me realize that, no matter who you were facing, could be the strongest person in the world, people feared what they didn't understand. People like the marines and CP9 have more than likely seen many bizarre and powerful things in the world but I could guarantee they've never seen anything like me.

I sighed, "At least if this whole 'Pirate thing' doesn't work out I could get into acting," I laughed at myself.

Despite the seriousness of this situation it felt good to laugh. It felt like everything was going to be alright at this point. If I avoided any monumental screw ups that is.

* * *

Luffy was cold.

It wasn't like he'd never been cold before. He wasn't even _that_ cold. But the short shivers he'd get occasionally were starting to bother him. He bounced his foot impatiently on the wood floor of Rocket Man, the second sea train that Kokoro-san was allowing them to use to save Robin and the others.

To save Asa.

That's why the cold was bothering him. Because he had gotten used to snuggling up to Asa, to hugging her and her _being here_.

He missed her.

Luffy was still getting the hang of being in a relationship, the concept was foreign to him. Asa had told him that she had only had one boyfriend before so he felt a bit better that it wasn't only him that got confused sometimes.

Being with her was new and exciting. He felt like he did on an amazing adventure just by being with her! Luffy loved to have her close to him. He loved her scent and the way she always smiled at _him_ first in the morning. He loved _her._

But he wasn't sure how to handle this feeling. Nothing felt right, could that really be because Asa wasn't by his side?

Either way he didn't like the feeling. And his instincts told him it wasn't going to go away until he got all his nakama back with him.

He stood up, swinging his arm and rolling his shoulder as he walked to the window.

"Come on Zoro."

He needed to punch a giant wave.

* * *

I wasn't sure how long I'd been sitting there. My butt was getting sore and the ropes had carved fine lines in my wrists from my earlier struggles. No one had been back to check on me since Blueno had left. That seemed odd but I wasn't about to complain. It could have been Lucci that tried to interrogate me. Somehow I had a feeling that wouldn't have gone as well as it did with Blueno.

Leaning back in the chair as much as I could I ignored its creaking in protest. I had already counted every slat of wood on the ceiling. My previous fear had long since dwindled in the quiet room.

My thoughts wandered to the crew.

They were no doubt on Rocket man now, chasing after us. What were Franky and Usopp doing right now? Were they still tied up? It was starting to get hard to remember all the details of everything, especially since it's been so long. What was important was that I remembered the major things. We were going to save Robin. We would go get Brook. We would have to fight Kuma. Ace would… Ace would die in the war along with whitebeard.

Unless I stopped it.

I thought more about the war, about how it looked in the show. The yelling, the clangs of weapons, the mass of people. But… that was just a show. If-when- I go to Marineford, it will be something entirely different. The heat, the pain, the adrenaline, so many more things to experience and feel. Was I ready for that? Was I even ready for the inevitable result of fighting Kuma?

I already knew the answer.

I knew that it was likely I wasn't going to make it out of the war alive. My goal was to save Ace AND Luffy and if I had to put myself between him and Akainu myself then I would. In a heartbeat. I've died once or… twice if you count the fight with Enel, what would be a third time? No big deal right?

Except it was. Because I had a feeling I won't be coming back if I died again.

My thoughts drifted to Luffy. That wonderful lovable idiot. _My_ wonderful lovable idiot. Man I missed him. The way he could light up a room just by walking into it, the way he grinned even when things seemed like the worst possible situation. That soft, calm smile that he only ever gave me.

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt a tear drip onto my knee. I stared at it for a long moment through watery eyes and sniffled.

I could use a Luffy hug right about now.

But I'd have to get through this first. I'll see him again soon.

 _Don't worry Luffy_

 **Alright! Things are going to get back into full swing next chapter, be prepared for a cliffhanger ;) Thanks for sticking with me guys and gals, love you all!**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **-Ang3l**


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